All 5E Lightning Spells: Magically Calling on the Power of the Skies

by

Lightning is an elemental force that has a special type of power and feel to it. Often coming in with thunder, the blazing plasma from the sky is something that fascinates us even to this day…and sends those of us who are smart moving for shelter before the storm comes. The image of a wizard or spellcaster able to hurl or control lightning is just awesome, and there are plenty of good 5th Edition lightning spells to choose from to make this image part of your next character’s reality.

In 5E Dungeons & Dragons there are currently 19 spells and cantrips that use lightning, which are:

  • Lightning Lure
  • Shocking Grasp
  • Chaos Bolt
  • Witch Bolt
  • Absorb Element
  • Chromatic Orb
  • Dragon’s Breath
  • Call Lightning
  • Lightning Arrow
  • Lightning Bolt
  • Glyph of Warding
  • Elemental Weapon
  • Elemental Bane
  • Storm Sphere
  • Chain Lightning
  • Prismatic Spray
  • Illusory Dragon
  • Prismatic Wall
  • Storm of Vengeance

Let’s dive into each one now to see which 5E lightning spells are available to your class, workarounds to give yourself more access to lightning than the limited spell list, and deep dive into every 5E lightning spell so you know what your options are.

Time to dive in!

lightning storm
A bit too high a level lightning spell for a beginning caster…but we’ll work up to that one!

All 5E Lightning Spells in DnD

While lightning doesn’t have nearly as many options as say Fire or Cold damage spell builds, there are many options across multiple classes for what you can do. Let’s take a look at them level by level, since comparing spells at the same power level makes a lot of sense.

5E Lightning Cantrips

There are two cantrips that use lightning as a damage type for 5th Edition’s version of Dungeons & Dragons.

Lightning Lure – Cantrip

Lightning Lure is found in both Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything (TCE) on page 107, as well as the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide (SCAG).

Lightning Lure

Evocation Cantrip (Artificer, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)

  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 15 feet
  • Components: Verbal
  • Duration: Instantaneous

You create a lash of lightning energy that strikes at one creature of your choice that you can see within 15 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 10 feet in a straight line toward you and then take 1d8 lightning damage if it is within 5 feet of you.

At Higher Levels: This spell’s damage increases by 1d8 at levels 5, 11, and 17.

The Lightning Lure Cantrip is a versatile and interesting Cantrip that scales, has potential for fall damage, and can be used in some pretty creative ways depending on what the battlefield looks like and what your overall situation is. While not a spell that’s going to start the world on fire, for versatile builds, especially those who need to get the most utility out of their magic, this could be an intriguing option.

The biggest thing to think about is the additional utility of this spell. You can move an enemy into a less advantageous place, or pull an ally out of a bad situation and to a better one. If your Cleric is a walking buzz saw of Spirit Guardians why not just pull some enemies into that area, or again, a wounded ally who could use that extra bit of protection.

Good start for the lightning cantrips.

Want to know more? Check out our full 5E Lightning Lure Guide Here!

Shocking Grasp – Cantrip

Shocking Grasp is the other Cantrip that uses lightning damage, and can lead to a very surprised armored guard who is unwise enough to get too close while trying to apprehend you. Shocking Grasp is in page 275 of The Player’s Handbook.

Shocking Grasp

Evocation Cantrip (Artificer, Sorcerer, Wizard)

  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic
  • Duration: Instant

Lightning springs from your hand to deliver a shock to a creature you try to touch. Make a melee spell attack against the target. You have advantage on the attack roll if the target is wearing armor made of metal. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 lightning damage, and it can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.

At Higher Levels: Damage increases by 1d8 at 5th, 11th, and 17th levels.

The Shocking Grasp cantrip is the electric answer to the Heat Metal spell, and is a great cantrip that has that nice little addition of giving the touch attack advantage if the opponent has metal armor. Like most attack cantrips, this does scale with level meaning it remains an exceptional no-cost option for remaining relevant as a spellcaster in high level.

A notable lightning cantrip.

Want to know more? Check out our full 5E Shocking Grasp Guide Here!

5E DnD 1st Level Lightning Spells

There are several lightning-based spells in the first level, with four separate spells that use lightning damage. This gives multiple options for spellcasters to use lightning even from the very beginning.

Chaos Bolt – 1st-Level Spell

Chaos Bolt first appears in Xanathar’s Guide of Everything, and is a good 1st-Level spell that is available to the evocation sorcerer from the get-go as a tempting spell to take especially for gambling types as this spell can cause one of 8 types of damage, and the damage is determined by the actual damage roll.

Chaos Bolt

Evocation 1st-Level (Sorcerer)

  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 120 feet
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic
  • Duration: Instant

You hurl an undulating, warbling mass of chaotic energy at one creature in range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 2d8 + 1d6 damage. Choose one of the d8s. The number rolled on that die determines the attack’s damage type, as shown below.

  • 1 – Acid
  • 2 – Cold
  • 3 – Fire
  • 4 – Force
  • 5 – Lightning
  • 6 – Poison
  • 7 – Psychic
  • 8 – Thunder

If you roll the same number on both d8s, the chaotic energy leaps from the target to a different creature of your choice within 30 feet of it. Make a new attack roll against the new target, and make a new damage roll, which could cause the chaotic energy to leap again.

A creature can be targeted only once by each casting of this spell.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level of higher, each target takes 1d6 extra damage of the type rolled for each level above Level 1.

This is an outstanding and fun spell choice because it does a lot of damage for a 2st level spell, fits in with the often chaotic nature of a Sorcerer’s magic, and while because of the wording RAW you can’t do two different types of damage with one hit, you get to see the damage options before having to pick which one to use, allowing you to focus on magic damage that gets you the most bang for your buck.

Roll doubles and get to hit another target which also can take a completely different type of damage than the first.

A lucky roller can have a lot of fun with this one, and I don’t know why a Wild Magic Sorcerer would ever skip it.

Want to Know More? Check Out Our Full 5E Chaos Bolt Spell Guide!

Witch Bolt – 1st-Level Spell

Available to the Sorcerer, Warlock (naturally), and the Wizard, Witch Bolt is one of the more interesting spells that causes lightning damage originally appearing in page 289 of the PHB.

Witch Bolt

Evocation First Level (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)

  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 30 feet
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material
  • Duration: Up to 1 minute, Concentration Spell

A beam of crackling, blue energy lances out towards a creature within range, forming a sustained arc of lightning between you and the target. Make a ranged spell attack against the creature. On a hit, the target takes 1d12 lightning damage, and on each of your turns for the duration, you can use your action to deal 1d12 lightning damage to the target automatically. The spell ends if you use your action to do anything else. The spell also ends if the target is ever outside the spell’s range or if it has total cover from you.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the initial damage increases by 1d12 for each slot level above 1st.

Witch Bolt has potential for additional damage as a d12 is a rare damage die, and one of the major benefits is that once this spell hits it’s connected. As long as you can keep concentration up, you get to just keep rolling for damage without having to reroll to hit.

That is a HUGE advantage and means at higher levels you might be able to roll multiple d12s over and over every single turn with your only concern being making saving throws to keep up the damage (Might I suggest the 5E War Caster Feat or 5E Resilient Feat for that?).

Absorb Elements – 1st-Level Spell

Reaction spells, or those spells you can use as a reaction, are few and far between and it’s important to keep an eye out for them when they are available. Absorb Elements is also one available to a wide variety of classes.

Absorb Elements

Abjuration 1st-Level (Artificer, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer)

  • Casting Time: Reaction
  • Range: Self
  • Components: Somatic
  • Duration: 1 round

This spell captures some of the incoming energy, lessening its effect on you and storing it for your next melee attack. You have resistance to the triggering damage type until the start of your next turn. Also, the first time you hit with a melee attack on your next turn, the target takes an extra 1d6 damage of the triggering type, and the spell ends.

At Higher Levels: With each spell slot above 1st level, the extra damage increases by 1d6 per spell slot level.

This is an interesting spell and it makes sense for classes that are more likely to be in melee, such as the Druid or Ranger. What’s interesting is this seems like a spell that would be custom made for the 5E Eldritch Knight, but since the Wizard Class doesn’t have access to this spell, it looks like it’s not to be.

Druids, however, should think long and hard before passing on this spell.

Chromatic Orb – 1st-Level

Rounding out our list of 5E lightning spells is Chromatic Orb. This is one that belongs to the traditional big two of the casting classes: sorcerers and wizards.

Chromatic Orb

Magic School/Level Spell (Sorcerer, Wizard)

  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 90 feet
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material
  • Duration: Instant

You hurl a 4-inch diameter sphere of energy at a creature that you can see within range. You choose acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder for the type of orb you will create, and then make a ranged spell attack against the target. If the attack hits, the creature takes 3d8 damage of the type you chose.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.

The versatility of the Chromatic Orb makes is a spell that should be seriously considered especially by low level casters, especially sorcerers. The ability to choose the type of damage means you can match it up to the weakness of an enemy or avoid tossing a spell that they are resistant or even immune to.

This is an excellent early damage spell whose versatility will allow you to optimize your attack to handle many challenging situations.

5E DnD 2nd Level Lightning Spells

Level two isn’t nearly as busy as there’s only one level 2 lightning spell of note in 5th Ed D&D, but arguably it has one of the coolest names of any spell we’ve gone over so far.

Dragon’s Breath – 2nd Level Spell

First appearing in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, the Dragon’s Breath spell is limited to Sorcerers and Wizards, and can be used with multiple elemental attacks as this is a very versatile spell giving a lot of control to the caster.

Dragon’s Breath

Transmutation Level 2 Spell (Sorcerer, Wizard)

  • Casting Time: Bonus Action
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material
  • Duration: 1 minute, Concentration

You can select one willing creature to emit a 15-foot cone of elemental damage from its mouth. Upon touching the creature you may choose acid, cold, fire, lightning or poison as the damage type for the breath effect.

Creatures in the spell area make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 damage with a failure, then half as much damage on a success.

At Higher Levels: Another d6 is added for each additional level and will be of the same damage type

Thematically this spell lives up to its name and if you choose the right dragon, then Dragon’s Breath becomes a lightning elemental spell.

5E DnD 3rd Level Lightning Spells

Level three is a level where the lightning spells really tend to shine and there’s the most options by far. There are five different spells 5E lightning spells at Level 3.

Call Lightning

Wait, who can just call on lightning and have Mother Nature deliver? Welcome to your friendly neighborhood Druid! Seems appropriate that this one would start with a Nature guardian as they have been strangely left out of lightning magic up to this point.

Call Lightning

Conjuration Level 3 (Druids)

  • Casting Time: 1 Action
  • Range: 120 Feet
  • Components: Somatic, Verbal
  • Duration: Up to 10 minutes, Concentration

A storm cloud appears in the shape of a cylinder that is 10 feet tall with a 60-foot radius, centered on a point you can see 100 feet directly above you. The spell fails if you can’t see a point in the air where the storm cloud could appear (for example, if you are in a room that can’t accommodate the cloud).

When you cast the spell, choose a point you can see within range. A bolt of lightning flashes down from the cloud to that point. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d10 lightning damage  on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

On each of your turns until the spell ends, you can use your action to call down lightning in this way again, targeting the same point or a different one.

If you are outdoors in stormy conditions when you cast this spell, the spell gives you control over the existing storm instead of creating a new one. Under such conditions, the spell’s damage increases by 1d10.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher level, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 3rd.

At Higher Levels: When casting at 4th Level (or higher) you increase the damage 1d10 per level above 3rd.

Lightning with some potential AOE effects if the targets are packed together tightly enough, and the magic here is clearly connected to nature which makes it a great lightning spell for Druids.

Lightning Arrow

Lightning Arrow is a 5E lightning spell that feels like a fairly simple spell that gives some extra punch to a Ranger’s legendary aim with a bow and arrow or crossbow, but it’s actually a lot more complicated than it looks at first glance…and it is much more powerful as a result!

Let’s just stick with the spell text first, then we’ll dive into what it all means.

Lightning Arrow

Magic School/Level Spell (Ranger)

  • Casting Time: Bonus action
  • Range: a
  • Components: a
  • Duration: 1 minute, Concentration

The next time you make a ranged weapon attack during the spell’s duration, the weapon’s ammunition, or the weapon itself if it’s a thrown weapon, transforms into a bolt of lightning. Make the attack roll as normal. The target takes 4d8 lightning damage on a hit, or half as much damage on a miss, instead of the weapon’s normal damage.

Whether you hit or miss, each creature within 10 feet of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. Each of these creatures takes 2d8 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The piece of ammunition or weapon then returns to its normal form.

At Higher Levels: For each level above 3rd this is cast at, you add another 1d8 of lightning damage to the damage rolls.

So a lot of VERY important wording to keep track of here.

  • The arrow is still a regular ranged attack as lightning – that means you add the DEX modifier and any Archery Fighting Style modifiers (Jeremy Crawford Confirms)
  • Since this is a ranged attack, when you have multi-attack you still get to use your second attack in an attack action with a normal arrow
  • The spell is concentration so as long as you don’t get hit or drop concentration, this spell lasts for one minute, aka 10 rounds
  • Since it’s a bonus action to cast, you can cast the spell and then immediately get the benefit with your first arrow using said lightning attack on that turn

That tends to make this spell much more powerful than most players and DMs at gaming tables are giving it credit for and makes this an incredibly effective spell for rangers, and that’s even before taking into account the arrow has an AOE effect and the main target, and all those in the area, still take damage on a miss.

That is one powerful lightning spell! And a must-take if you are building a conventional Ranger up to this level of spellcasting.

Lightning Bolt

The lightning bolt is a powerful lightning spell available to your Sorcerers and Wizards that allows then to do serious damage, unleashing a straight line of lightning from them out 100 feet in any direction. This brings the full fury of Mother Nature to the battle field and is an excellent choice.

Lightning Bolt

Evocation 3rd-Level (Sorcerer, Wizard)

  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 100 feet
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material
  • Duration: Instant

A stroke of lightning forming a line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 8d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The lightning ignites flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level of higher, the damage goes up by 1d6 for every level above level 3.

Five feet wide isn’t much, but man if you can find the right angle to ignore your front line and get a lot of enemies lined up in a row and you can do some serious damage. A very powerful lightning spell that feels like it’s finally matching the real life power of Mother Nature in spell form. This is without a question one of the potentially strongest lightning spells out there.

Elemental Weapon

Elemental Weapon: the perfect spell for when you need to turn that non-magical weapon into something magical, including magical lightning. This makes it yet another versatile spell that can fill a niche need when you need it most.

Elemental Weapon

Transmutation Level 3 (Artificer, Paladin)

  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic
  • Duration: Up to one hour, concentration

A nonmagical weapon you touch becomes a magic weapon. Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. For the duration, the weapon has a +1 bonus to attack rolls and deals an extra 1d4 damage of the chosen type when it hits.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th or 6th level, the bonus to attack rolls increases to +2 and the extra damage increases to 2d4. When you use a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the bonus increases to +3 and the extra damage increases to 3d4.

Situationally based on sub-class or rules variations some tables use (first introduced in Tasha’s) this is a spell that might also end up with very particular builds of Druids or Rangers, but those are situational. This has an interesting scaling at higher levels that doesn’t follow the normal way of higher casting so watch out for that.

This spell has received some hate because of the fact that at many tables by the time the classes that have it are high enough to cast this spell, magical weapons are often common, making them seemingly pointless, although there are some niche situations where this might come in handy.

Glyph of Warding

Not a spell that gets brought up for combat, but a Glyph of Warding is a powerful spell great for traps, for protecting chests or specific areas, and it actually can do a lot of work and be used in some creative and versatile ways. It’s also among one of the longest descriptions of any spell or item in all of 5th Edition, so get ready for some reading on this one if you’re interested in the full rundown.

Glyph of Warding

Abjuration 3rd-Level (Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Wizard)

  • Casting Time: 1 hour
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material
  • Duration: Until the spell is either triggered or dispelled

When you cast this spell, you inscribe a glyph that harms other creatures, either upon a surface (such as a table or a section of floor or wall) or within an object that can be closed (such as a book, a scroll, or a treasure chest) to conceal the glyph. If you choose a surface, the glyph can cover an area of the surface no larger than 10 feet in diameter. If you choose an object, that object must remain in its place, if the object is moved more than 10 feet from where you cast this spell, the glyph is broken and the spell ends without being triggered.

The glyph is nearly invisible and requires a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC to be found.

You decide what triggers the glyph when you cast the spell. For glyphs inscribed on a surface, the most typical triggers include touching or standing on the glyph, removing another object covering the glyph, approaching within a certain distance of the glyph, or manipulating the object on which the glyph is inscribed. For glyphs inscribed within an object, the most common triggers include opening that object, approaching within a certain distance of the object, or seeing or reading the glyph. Once a glyph is triggered, this spell ends.

You can further refine the trigger so the spell activates only under certain circumstances or according to physical characteristics (such as height or weight), creature kind (for example, the ward could be set to affect aberrations or drow), or alignment. You can also set conditions for creatures that don’t trigger the glyph, such as those who say a certain password.

When you inscribe the glyph, choose explosive runes or a spell glyph.

Explosive Runes: When triggered, the glyph erupts with magical energy in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on the glyph. The sphere spreads around corners. Each creature in the aura must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 5d8 acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage on a failed saving throw (your choice when you create the glyph), or half as much damage on a successful one.

Spell Glyph: You can store a prepared spell of 3rd level or lower in the glyph by casting it as part of creating the glyph. The spell must target a single creature or an area. The spell being stored has no immediate effect when cast in this way. When the glyph is triggered, the stored spell is cast. If the spell has a target, it targets the creature that triggered the glyph. If the spell affects an area, the area is centered on that creature. If the spell summons hostile creatures or creates harmful objects or traps, they appear as close as possible to the intruder and attack it. If the spell requires concentration, it lasts until the end of its full duration.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage of an explosive runes glyph increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd. If you create a spell glyph, you can store any spell of up to the same level as the slot you use for the glyph of warding.

That was a few mouthfuls, but because the Glyph of Warding does elemental damage, it can absolutely be considered a lightning spell in 5E.

5E DnD 4th Level Lightning Spells

There are two Level 4 5E lightning spells, and they are ones that are likely to get some attention when used. The two 5E lightning spells are Elemental Bane and Storm Sphere.

Elemental Bane

Originally appearing in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, it was clear that Xanathar thought there weren’t enough really mean spells in 5th edition and so this is when things started heating up with increasingly strong and popular elemental spells.

Elemental Bane

Transmutation – Level 4 (Artificers, Druids, Warlocks, Wizards)

  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 90 feet
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic
  • Duration: 1 minute

Choose one creature you can see within range, and choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be affected by the spell for its duration. The first time each turn the affected target takes damage of the chosen type, the target takes an extra 2d6 damage of that type. Moreover, the target loses any resistance to that damage type until the spell ends.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 4th. The creatures must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them.

Yeah that constant damage that just keeps happening is…well it’s just mean. Even meaner is the wording. This isn’t an extra 2d6 damage per round – it’s each time they take that damage on the turn. So if your Artificer hits is with Elemental Bane using lighting, any lightning spell the druid, warlock, wizard, sorcerer, or other spellcaster hit it with on their turn would also do an extra 2d6 damage of that type.

That’s even before the fact you can use this spell at higher levels to target multiple creatures with a damage attack that just keeps hitting for a full minute after they fail a save. This is just brutal as it literally lets your casters work together to absolutely tee off on an enemy.

Very good spell, especially if you are coordinating with other casters in your adventuring party, in which case it becomes a potentially overpowering spell in the right circumstances.

Storm Sphere

Another lightning spell that came into 5th Edition via Xanathar’s Guide to Everything (man it would have been hard to be a lightning themed caster before Xanathar came out) many players consider Storm Sphere one of the best scaling spells in the game, and one that is especially strong because it can do bludgeoning and lightning damage while also making it harder for enemies to resist these damages while in the afflicting sphere.

Storm Sphere

Evocation 4th-Level (Sorcerers, Wizards)

  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 150 feet, creates 20 foot sphere
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic
  • Duration: 1 Minute

A 20-foot-radius sphere of whirling air springs into existence centered on a point you choose within range. The sphere remains for the spell’s duration. Each creature in the sphere when it appears or that ends its turn there must succeed on a Strength saving throw or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage. The sphere’s space is difficult terrain.

Until the spell ends, you can use a bonus action on each of your turns to cause a bolt of lightning to leap from the center of the sphere toward one creature you choose within 60 feet of the center. Make a ranged spell attack. You have advantage on the attack roll if the target is in the sphere. On a hit, the target takes 4d6 lightning damage.

Creatures within 30 feet of the sphere have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to listen.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases for each of its effects by 1d6 for each slot level above 4th.

5E DnD 5th Level Lightning Spells

Unfortunately there are no 5th Level spells for any class in 5th Ed that involve lightning damage. This is just one level where there isn’t a whole lot of love for the would be Storm Mages of your campaign.

5E DnD 6th Level Lightning Spells

There is only one Level 6 lightning spell in 5E D&D, but it is almost certainly the most famous of all the lightning spells in this addition, and it’s one that I watched save a low level party in my 4.5 year campaign. Thank wild magic surges…especially the perfectly timed ones.

Chain Lightning

The first spell most players think of when it comes to lightning-based spells in 5th Edition is Chain Lightning, and there’s good reason for that. This is the primary 6th level lightning spell in 5E.

Chain Lightning

Evocation – 6th Level (Sorcerer, Wizard)

  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 150 feet
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material
  • Duration: Instant

You create a bolt of lightning that arcs toward a target of your choice that you can see within range. Three bolts then leap from that target to as many as three other targets, each of which must be within 30 feet of the first target. A target can be a creature or an object and can be targeted by only one of the bolts.

A target must make a Dexterity saving throw. The target takes 10d8 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, one additional bolt leaps from the first target to another target for each slot level above 6th, meaning this spell can have up to 6 bolts coming off the initial target.

5E DnD 7th Level Lightning Spells

In all the current core books there is only 7th-Level spell that can dish out lightning damage, and that’s all depending how the d8 rolls.

Prismatic Spray

When you get to the high level spells you start really having fun and if that d8 rolls a 3 for yellow, someone is taking some serious lightning damage – even if they manage to make the save.

Prismatic Spray

Evocation 7th-Level (Sorcerer, Wizard)

  • Casting Time: a
  • Range: a
  • Components: a
  • Duration: a

Eight multicolored rays of light flash from your hand. Each ray is a different color and has a different power and purpose. Each creature in a 60-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. For each target, roll a d8 to determine which color ray affects it.

1-Red: The target takes 10d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

2-Orange: The target takes 10d6 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

3-Yellow: The target takes 10d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

4-Green: The target takes 10d6 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

5-Blue: The target takes 10d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

6-Indigo: On a failed save, the target is restrained. It must then make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If it successfully saves three times, the spell ends. If it fails its save three times, it permanently turns to stone and is subjected to the petrified condition. The successes and failures don’t need to be consecutive, keep track of both until the target collects three of a kind.

7-Violet: On a failed save, the target is blinded. It must then make a Wisdom saving throw at the start of your next turn. A successful save ends the blindness. If it fails that save, the creature is transported to another plane of existence of the DM’s choosing and is no longer blinded. (Typically, a creature that is on a plane that isn’t its home plane is banished home, while other creatures are usually cast into the Astral or Ethereal planes.)

8-Special: The target is struck by two rays. Roll twice more, rerolling any 8.

The Prismatic Spray is a really fun spell and it’s one that can do some serious work on the battlefield. Personally, I love spellcasters who are all about taking the spells that force a roll of the dice, and this spell does that while also buffering out some of the best lightning damage in the entire game.

5E DnD 8th Level Lightning Spells

There’s one spell that can potentially create lightning damage from 8th Level, and it’s a doozy. It’s also from the Illusion School of Magic which is probably a surprise to most players who aren’t thoroughly familiar with the complete list of spells in 5th Edition.

Illusory Dragon

This spell is just insane. Illusion wizards don’t get a lot of love in 5E, and there are many good reasons for this, but if you’re running all the way up to a high level campaign, this is the type of spell that can make the low-level and mid-level pain all worth it once you get to where you can sling crazy effective spells like this one.

Illusory Dragon

Illusion – Level 8 (Wizard)

  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 120 feet
  • Components: Somatic
  • Duration: Up to one minute, Concentration spell

By gathering threads of shadow material form the Shadowfell, you create a Huge shadowy dragon in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. The illusion lasts for the spell’s duration and occupies its space, as if it were a creature.

When the illusion appears, any of your enemies that can see it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of it for 1 minute. If a frightened creature ends its turn in a location where it doesn’t have line of sight to the illusion, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself of a success.

As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 60 feet. At any point during its movement, you can cause it to exhale a blast of energy in a 60-foot cone originating from tis space. When you create the dragon, choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, or poison. Each creature in the cone must make an Intelligence saving throw, taking 7d6 damage of the chosen damage type on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The illusion is tangible because of the shadow stuff used to create it, but attacks miss it automatically, it succeeds on all saving throws, and it is immune to all damage and conditions. A creature that uses an action to examine the dragon can determine that it is an illusion by succeeding on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your Spell Save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the creature can see through it and has advantage on saving throws against its breath.

You know you’re getting into the good stuff when there’s no more “At higher levels” addendum to a spell. Illusory Dragon is considered by many to be one of the strongest and most underrated spells in all of 5th Edition and there’s no denying that it is something special.

5E DnD 9th Level Lightning Spells

There are two Level 9 Lightning spells in 5E, each finding plenty of fans depending on the caster build. These are the ultra powerful spells that you would expect at the highest level of

Prismatic Wall

This spell….just good Lord, what else is there to say about this spell? Nearly un-survivable if a player rushes through like an idiot, nearly unbreakable without an incredibly skilled team with a variety of magic and skills at their disposal, and so, so, so much elemental damage. If you want to get a party to use up some serious magic or watch to see if that chaos goblin goes one step too far – this is your spell.

And it will keep the hordes away – and buy you some serious time in the process.

Prismatic Wall

Abjuration – Level 9 (Wizard)

  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 60 feet – Wall is up to 30 feet high and 90 feet long
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic
  • Duration: 10 Minutes

A shimmering, multicolored plane of light forms a vertical opaque wall – up to 90 feet long, 30 feet high, and 1 inch thick – centered on a point you can see within range. Alternatively, you can shape the wall into a sphere up to 30 feet in diameter centered on a point you choose within range.

The wall remains in place for the duration. If you position the wall so that it passes through a space occupied by a creature, the spell fails, and your action and the spell slot are wasted. The wall sheds bright light out to a range of 100 feet and dim light for an additional 100 feet. You and creatures you designate at the time you cast the spell can pass through and remain near the wall without harm. If another creature that can see the wall moves to within 20 feet of it or starts its turn there, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become blinded for 1 minute.

The wall consists of seven layers, each with a different color. When a creature attempts to reach into or pass through the wall, it does so one layer at a time through all the wall’s layers. As it passes or reaches through each layer, the creature must make a Dexterity saving throw or be affected by that layer’s properties as described below.

The wall can be destroyed, also one layer at a time, in order from red to violet, by means specific to each layer. Once a layer is destroyed, it remains so for the duration of the spell. A rod of cancellation destroys a prismatic wall, but an antimagic field has no effect on it.

Red: The creature takes 10d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. While this layer is in place, nonmagical ranged attacks can’t pass through the wall. The layer can be destroyed by dealing at least 25 cold damage to it.

Orange: The creature takes 10d6 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. While this layer is in place, magical ranged attacks can’t pass through the wall. The layer is destroyed by a strong wind.

Yellow: The creature takes 10d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This layer can be destroyed by dealing at least 60 force damage to it.

Green: The creature takes 10d6 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A passwall spell, or another spell of equal or greater level that can open a portal on a solid surface, destroys this layer.

Blue: The creature takes 10d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This layer can be destroyed by dealing at least 25 fire damage to it.

Indigo: On a failed save, the creature is restrained. It must then make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If it successfully saves three times, the spell ends. If it fails its save three times, it permanently turns to stone and is subjected to the petrified condition. The successes and failures don’t need to be consecutive, keep track of both until the creature collects three of a kind. While this layer is in place, spells can’t be cast through the wall. The layer is destroyed by bright light shed by a daylight spell or a similar spell of equal or higher level.

Violet: On a failed save, the creature is blinded. It must then make a Wisdom saving throw at the start of your next turn. A successful save ends the blindness. If it fails that save, the creature is transported to another plane of the DM’s choosing and is no longer blinded. (Typically, a creature that is on a plane that isn’t its home plane is banished home, while other creatures are usually cast into the Astral or Ethereal planes.) This layer is destroyed by a dispel magic spell or a similar spell of equal or higher level that can end spells and magical effects.

The Prismatic Wall spell is a truly amazing spell, and worth its place as a 9th level spell. It’s not often a spell that can deal 10d6 lightning damage and that is a minor or even forgettable detail in the middle of the complete spell.

Storm of Vengeance

There are many, many reasons not to make a Druid angry in 5th Edition D&D, and the Storm of Vengeance is a powerful utility and damage spell that lets a Druid bring some serious trouble to an opposing party, army, or other nuisance even before resorting to Wild Shape.

Storm of Vengeance

Conjuration – Level 9 (Druid)

  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: Sight – if the Druid can see a spot, they can cast the spell there.
  • Components: Verbal, Somatic
  • Duration: 1 Minute

A churning storm cloud forms, centered on a point you can see and spreading to a radius of 360 feet. Lightning flashes in the area, thunder booms, and strong winds roar. Each creature under the cloud (no more than 5,000 feet beneath the cloud) when it appears must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 thunder damage and becomes deafened for 5 minutes.

Each round you maintain concentration on this spell, the storm produces different effects on your turn.

Round 2. Acidic rain falls from the cloud. Each creature and object under the cloud takes 1d6 acid damage.

Round 3. You call six bolts of lightning from the cloud to strike six creatures or objects of your choice beneath the cloud. A given creature or object can’t be struck by more than one bolt. A struck creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 10d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Round 4. Hailstones rain down from the cloud. Each creature under the cloud takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage.

Round 5–10. Gusts and freezing rain assail the area under the cloud. The area becomes difficult terrain and is heavily obscured. Each creature there takes 1d6 cold damage. Ranged weapon attacks in the area are impossible. The wind and rain count as a severe distraction for the purposes of maintaining concentration on spells.

Finally, gusts of strong wind (ranging from 20 to 50 miles per hour) automatically disperse fog, mists, and similar phenomena in the area, whether mundane or magical.

Big brother to Sleet Storm, one of my favorite underrated utility spells in 5E, Storm of Vengeance creates difficult terrain, deafens targets, obscures surroundings, and causes a good amount of damage from various sources, as well.

5E Lightning Spells by Class

Artificer

  • Lightning Lure
  • Shocking Grasp
  • Absorb Elements
  • Elemental Weapon
  • Glyph of Warding
  • Elemental Bane

Bard

  • Glyph of Warding

Cleric

  • Glyph of Warding

Druid

  • Absorb Elements
  • Call Lightning
  • Elemental Bane
  • Storm of Vengeance

Paladin

  • Elemental Weapon

Ranger

  • Absorb Elements
  • Lightning Arrow

Sorcerer

  • Lightning Lure
  • Shocking Grasp
  • Chaos Bolt
  • Witch Bolt
  • Absorb Elements
  • Chromatic Orb
  • Dragon’s Breath
  • Lightning Bolt
  • Storm Sphere
  • Chain Lightning
  • Prismatic Spray

Warlock

  • Lightning Lure
  • Witch Bolt
  • Elemental Bane

Wizards

  • Lightning Lure
  • Shocking Grasp
  • Witch Bolt
  • Absorb Elements
  • Chromatic Orb
  • Dragon’s Breath
  • Lightning Bolt
  • Glyph of Warding
  • Elemental Bane
  • Storm Sphere
  • Chain Lightning
  • Prismatic Spray
  • Prismatic Wall

5E Class Features & Other Options To Use Lightning Spell Damage

While these are all the lightning spells in 5th Edition, as well as all the spells that cause lightning damage even when that isn’t necessarily the main focus, there are a few other ways to adjust other spells or otherwise make lightning damage available when it normally wouldn’t be.

Here are some of the most common options for bringing more lightning into your build outside of what the spells as written can currently offer you and any lightning mage based builds.

Transmuted Spell Metamagic

Sorcerers have a metamagic option known as Transmuted Spell, which was introduced with Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. With this metamagic option a Sorcerer can spend one metamagic point in order to change the type of damage that they are doing. So a fireball can become an ice ball, an ice knife can become an acid knife, or any spell using ice, fire, or other elements can be converted to lightning.

This is a great way to take advantage of enemies with a weakness to a specific type of damage or for thematic reasons when you really want to go all-in on that one element.

This is a Sorcerer class feature and is available to every sub-class of Sorcerer in 5E D&D.

Metamagic Adept Feat

If you’re not a Sorcerer you can still get (limited) use out of the Transmuted Spell Metamagic feature. You can do this by choosing to take the Metamagic Adept Feat and with that you can pick Transmuted Spell.

Keep in mind you only get 2 Sorcery feats with this feat so unless you multi-class into Sorcerer later you will only be able to change the element to lightning twice in between long rests.

Order of the Scribes Wizards

The Order of the Scribe is a sub-class of Wizard that was introduced with Tasha‘s, and the 2nd-Level Order of the Scribes Feature titled “Awakened Spellbook” is what gives some ability to change the damage type of a spell you cast, albeit with some restrictions and limitations.

The section we’re interested in (found on page 78)

When you cast a wizard spell with a spell slot, you can temporarily replace its damage type with a type that appears in another spell in your spellbook, which magically alters the spell’s formula for this casting only. The latter spell must be of the same level as the spell slot you expend.

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, p.78

This does give some strong options for moving around damage type as a wizard and allows you to add lightning to a spell that otherwise wouldn’t be able to inflict lightning damage.

Does The Energy Substitution Feat Exist in 5E?

Energy Substitution is a popular DnD 3.5 feat that allowed the changing of a spell’s damage from one type to another. However, there is no equivalent feat in D&D 5E.

This is a shame as a 5E version of Energy Substitution sounds like a great feat idea and I’m actually a bit surprised that it wasn’t converted into 5th Edition. This is one of those old 3.5 feats that maybe are worth going back to make a homebrew version of for 5E.

5E Lightning Damage Is Plenty Flashy

There are a lot of great lightning spells in 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons, not to mention great class features, feats, and other mechanics that allow you to call upon lightning to strike fear into your enemies and advance you and your party’s goals in-campaign.

While in many ways elemental damage are often more flavor than anything else in 5E, sometimes it does make a difference and with a creative DM who likes to award versatility and creativeness from the players, going with lightning is a great way to stand out from your more conventional Fire and Ice Mages and put a mark on a campaign that’s all your own.

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